After getting in touch with the Business support team at the City of Greater Dandenong Council, the beloved dessert company Butter Mafia has chosen Dandenong Market as the location for its first retail shop.
Corporate lawyer turned gluten-free dessert master, Kenn Chia, launched Butter Mafia in 2013. It specialises in small-batch sweets with playful names like Mob Wife, a decadent chocolate and raspberry slice, and The Don, a hazelnut and caramel slice. Since then, these have become best sellers, with the business attracting a devoted following of sweet fans.
Kenn’s love for desserts began early in life when he baked on weekends with his mother in Singapore. After moving to Melbourne for law school, he used baking to de-stress. There was the added bonus of being able to share home-made treats with friends.
Custom-cake requests started pouring in, and Kenn’s passion soon blossomed into a thriving side hustle then into a full-time job supplying desserts to cafes across Melbourne.
Butter Mafia has attracted customers from all over Victoria to its Northcote commercial kitchen and frequent pop-up market stalls. But Kenn chose the southeast for his first retail outlet, with the Dandenong Market store catering to customers who travel from as far away as Gippsland to savour his cookies, slices, truffles and brownies.
After the process of setting up the commercial kitchen proved arduous, Kenn was determined to avoid mistakes during the establishment of his standalone store in Dandenong. His first point of contact – he advises other entrepreneurs starting a business to follow his lead – was the local council, specifically the business support unit. The advice he received was invaluable to ensuring a smooth beginning at the market. “They’re there to help you and they want you to be successful,” says Kenn. “They will do what they can to help you through your journey, so don’t be afraid to ask for help.”
With the Dandenong Market store up and running, Kenn is already looking to the future, with plans to introduce savoury gluten-free offerings to cater to even more customers. You’ll find Kenn located in “The Pantry” area at the Dandenong Market on Tuesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
